Damaging criminals are tagged

Nearly a quarter of all criminal damage in Reading results in a conviction for the vandals responsible.

The Evening Post can reveal that 23 per cent of criminal damage in the town has been “detected” compared to 11 to 15 per cent in other Thames Valley areas including Oxford, High Wycombe, Milton Keynes and Slough.

Sixty per cent of all criminal damage detections in Reading are for graffiti and there have been 350 graffiti detections since April 1 last year – around one a day.

A detection means the matter has been addressed by police, resulting in a charge being brought or legal action taken.

More than 1,000 unsightly images of graffiti in Reading and parts of Wokingham have been logged on a computer at Thames Valley Police’s base in the town centre.

The graffiti on file ranges from ‘tags’ – bearing peoples’ names – to pictures to scrawls to random words.

Reading’s anti-social behaviour coordinator Dave Bowler, who liaises with Reading Borough Council and Thames Valley Police, told the Evening Post: “In the past 18 months the police have become more active in the investigation of graffiti offences resulting in several prolific graffiti taggers being brought to justice.

“The graffiti database has assisted in identifying these prolific taggers and the areas they operate in.

“The police will continue to target and tackle those prolific offenders involved in such activities, which are a blight on the local community.

“Those minded to become involved in anti-social behaviour are warned of the consequences of their behaviour, which could result in imprisonment and anti-social behaviour orders.”

People all over Reading take pictures of graffiti, make a note of the location and then email the image to Mr Bowler.

Individuals who take pictures for Mr Bowler’s database include street cleaning wardens, staff at The Oracle, police community support officers and British Transport Police.

The Evening Post has lent a hand, taking and emailing pictures of cars which had been vandalised by serial graffiti tagger Sharon Balbi.

Balbi was sentenced to a two-year ASBO and a two-year community order with mental health service supervision last month.

The 43-year-old from Tilehurst contributed to 8.5 per cent of all criminal damage in Reading between April and September last year.

Mr Bowler said he was particularly interested in identifying offenders who use the tag ‘BASE’, which has been seen in Reading, Earley and Woodley, ‘Gully Boyz’ and ‘Potty’ – both of which appear in the Tilehurst end of Oxford Road.

The tag ‘Pups’ has also been regularly daubed in Caversham – including on the trunk of a tree.